


War in Paradise

by CreepyReapers



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: F/M, First Contact, Interspecies Relationship(s), Meridian, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-25
Updated: 2017-04-25
Packaged: 2018-10-24 00:00:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10730022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CreepyReapers/pseuds/CreepyReapers
Summary: Tiran and Sara are much too preoccupied to even attempt to form any type of relationship, until they realize it could be the end. (Mass Effect Andromeda spoilers)





	War in Paradise

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not complaining at all. But when bioware doesn't give you a space husband you gotta make one. hehe.  
> This might go up in rating sooner or later. I hope you enjoy it. :)

Meridian was a paradise wrapped in chaos. Tiran Kandros could hear the blood pumping in his ears as his shuttle closed in on the remnant site, fresh tracks from the Nomad searing through the landscapes greenery- it’s driver now ironically doing the same to a group of kett as her biotic charge sent two enemies flying across the battlefield. 

If flying Kett wasn’t a sign of Ryder’s presence , he didn’t know what was. The Pathfinder and her team mowed through waves of enemies, making each wave look easier than the last. She looked radiant against the lush green scenery he hadn’t had the time to admire, strands of her dark hair caked to her face from sweat and blood as she charged in without hesitation. She’d been fighting like this for months, all while he stood in his sad little corner on the Nexus, he wasn’t sure if he should be jealous or impressed. 

His feet hit the ground, sending every sense into overdrive as his adrenaline kicked in. This was the action he’d thirsted for ,blood pumping with excitement, throat thick with heat from the thrill. He had missed this feeling for so long, when the only thing that mattered was aiming a gun and shooting. Half of APEX on his left, Sloane Kelly and her thugs to his right- they made their way closer to the Pathfinder and her squad. 

He heaved an exhausted growl when his eyes met Sloanes, which earned him a wry smile from Kadara’s finest before ducking behind cover nearly 30 ft behind Ryder and her crew. The irony of fighting along the very person he’d replaced would have made him laugh if he didn’t despise her so damn much, especially when one of his oldest friends had disappeared along with her. 

“Watch out on our left!” Sara ordered as another kett flagship made it’s descent onto the battlefield. His APEX team and Sloanes thugs worked in unison, picking off every kett that attempted to flank Ryder and her team. Kandros felt a slight chill run down his spine as he watched the unlikely camaraderie between the two factions, each watching out for one another even after months of butting heads. He was damned proud of his team. 

“KANROS!” Sloane barked, head ducking down after taking a few shots at an ascended, “Are you going to shoot them, or just stare at them till they fall over? What’s wrong? Been on the Nexus for too long, forgot how to aim a gun? ”.

He shook his head, pulling himself out of the little trance he managed to wander into before his mandibles went taut against his face as his sub-vocals rang unusually low, “ Let’s not forget who kicked your ass out of there in the first place-”

“Hey hey kids, play nice!” Ryder called out over the comms from the other side of cover, reloading her Revenant assault rifle, “I’d rather you two shoot kett first, then you can shoot at each other later. Trying to save humanity here!” 

There was the faintest hint of a growl between the two of them before the sounds of bullets barely missing their mark shook Sloane and Kandros both into action. It wasn’t a willing camaraderie, but an efficient one. Their rivalry had quickly sprouted a game of who-can-kill-the-most-kett as they made their way closer to the Pathfinder team. 

Kandros was the first to reach them, his shoulder colliding with Vetra’s as he desperately attempted to hide his nearly seven foot turian structure behind a measly crate, earning a groan from the smuggler,“This crate is definitely not big enough for the both of us.” she managed after unloading a full clip into a kett that had snuck up behind him. 

He made eye contact with her, both of their mandibles twitched slightly as Vetra’s right browplate arched and his breath hitched. He cursed the spirits, he’d met the only female turian in the world that could read minds,“I was here first.” she said almost sweetly, both mandibles going into a wide flare. 

He grumbled quietly, peeking out of cover to find another spot, his legs screaming in agony from over exertion. Maybe Sloane was right, maybe he was going soft. He summoned his strength and hoped over the small crate to the next set of objects to find Ryder occupying its space. 

“Welcome to the party, Kandros.” Ryder said through a daunting smile, using her biotics to throw one of the kett that had gotten too close for comfort. Her eyes were ablaze with so much confidence, it was hard to tell this was the same Ryder that stammered with her words in front of him aboard the Nexus. Either way, he liked them both, “Couldn’t let you have all the fun.” he teased back. She smiled even wider, unloading a half a clip into a kett that decided to barge right at them. Were they...flirting with each other?

He was going to comment on it, after all it was do or die at this point. It’s amazing the amount of confidence one gains when life hangs on a balance of luck and skill. But as he formed the words to speak a Behemoth charged from their left towards them, sending all cover into flying shrapnel in its wake. 

Tiran was quick to push Ryder out of the way, feeling the wind from the Behemoths charge grace the back of his fringe. They collided with the smaller crate he had just jumped a minute or two before with painful groans. Ryder’s squad quickly worked out a strategy to preoccupy the exalted krogan while the two of them worked on regained their bearings. 

“Kandros, are you okay?” her brows furrowed as she managed to prop herself on one knee pulling up a biotic barrier to protect them both from fire. 

“Been better.” He said as he winced, planting both feet on the ground and motioning towards a Remnant construct just up ahead,” Let’s work our way to that cover, we need to get you to the Archon.”. 

“What about the Behemoth?” 

His mandibles flared in amusement, “ what kind of operation do you think I'm running here, a daycare?” he ordered APEX to draw fire from the Behemoth and before they knew it APEX had taken it down. 

Vetra and Jaal rallied with them both, “Not bad at all” Vetra said after a whistle, taking in the sight of a battlefield of slain kett. Tiran didn't have time to admire their handy work as Ryder took off to the aforementioned cover at the remnant structure. All three followed suit as Sara's back hit the ancient monument. 

“More Kett!” Ryder barked as she tried to catch her breath, Jaal and Vetra both taking up separate flanks. Kandros joined Ryder and peaked over cover, “there's about ten of them.” he said through a slowly creeping haze of exhaustion. 

She grabbed his arm and he nearly froze. He watched her as she did the same for him. The confidence that had been oozing to the brim had vanished into thin air and now all that remained was raw fear. It was a facade she'd worn for so long, even before her first day as Pathfinder- and it was beginning to crack. She wore all her doubts on her sleeve and he realized at that moment she was no different from the rest of them, scared and alone in a new galaxy. 

“what If I don't make it in ti-” 

Tiran placed his hand on hers, pulling up his omni-tool to direct his entire APEX team at the approaching kett before readying his rifle, “You can do it, Sara. Go save Scott and the Hyperion, we'll hold it down. And when you see the Archon you tell him-”

Kandros couldn't tell if he'd been the one or if Ryder had, but their mouths met and he'd never wanted to be further from a fight in his life. Her hand desperately clung to the cowl of his armor as his hand sought purchase in her dark hair. It was a mess and it was obvious neither of them had the slightest idea what they were doing, but what a beautiful mess it was. Her lips were soft and warm against his mouth plates, drawing out a languid groan when his tongue met hers. She was like fire, unyielding and catastrophic and absolutely mesmerizing. The kaleidoscope of feelings battled within him and the inner war between being a good turian and doing his duty or being selfish for another minute raged on- like the battlefield around them. 

As always, his nauseous sense of honor won. He broke away first, his whole world dimming as only breathing occupied the space between them. It had only been a minute- not even, though it felt like a hundred of them. 

“Get moving, Ryder.” He said with attempted professionalism with more of a flang in his sub-vocals then he’d been expecting, “I can’t kiss you again if we’re all dead.”. 

“That’s...Romantic.” Ryder managed with a chuckle. 

“We just had our first kiss on the battlefield of a paradise 600 years away from the Milky Way. I think we even gave Fleet and Flotilla a run for its money.” 

They smiled at each other. It had been months since they first met. Her little gazes as she strolled through the Nexus and passed the APEX terminal where he took almost permanent residence for over a year. Finally after the months of tiptoeing around their feelings they’d spilled it across a battlefield, before it was too late. 

And the entire ground team had witnessed it. There was an awkward cough from Vetra who popped her turbocharge to take out two kett, blood soaking the lush green grass beneath them, before moving up past the two of them. Tiran’s neck felt hot, knowing somewhere behind him Sloane had chuckled with that smug look slapped across her face. 

“You owe me a drink- or five when this is all said and done.” Ryder shuffled to position herself into a crouch with enough time to peek out of cover. Tiran hummed as she gave him one last look and he nodded back before signaling her team into the Remnant structure. 

“Sara.” his voice crackled through the comms as the light faded from view and the familiar blue glow of the vault washed over her. “Yes, Kandros?” 

“How about dinner instead?” 

Waves of whooping and whistling filled the comm system and Ryder did all she could to hide the smile that had snuck across her face. “You’re on.”


End file.
